


Walking on Wires

by omnommori



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, I Hate Overly Tagged Works, M/M, Post-Canon, Slow Romance, Violence, just read and find out, that's all you're getting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-14 09:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20598260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omnommori/pseuds/omnommori
Summary: The war is over. Isn't Happily Ever After supposed to last longer than one week?Apparently not for Riku. Easily described as calm, collected, perhaps even a little dark-side prone, Riku doesn't find himself bewildered often. However, when he wakes from a disheveling nightmare about his lifetime friend, Sora, being in danger, he finds himself exactly that. No one remembers Sora; no one but him. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Riku leaves Radiant Garden and travels to Twilight Town to elicit the help of Roxas, Sora's Nobody, under the assumption that if anyone else was to remember Sora, Roxas must. Assumptions, unfortunately, are often wrong. Roxas doesn't remember a thing about Sora. When Riku shows him a photo, Roxas points him in the direction of a traveling caravan that's in town with a wooden puppet made in Sora's exact likeness.Sora, the personified definition of bubbly, courageous to a fault, naive in the best of ways is searching for Kairi when his plans are disrupted by Maleficent. Deciding not to underestimate this boy any longer, Maleficent steals from Sora his source of power-his heart. Left as an empty shell of himself, Sora is no more than a puppet without strings.





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> Because I feel the franchise has offered less-than-excellent character development, and some wtf-is-happening plot points, I thought it would be a wonderfully terrible decision to try to: 1) decipher the lore and plot in a concise enough manner to 2) put together a post KHIII chapter that will perhaps lead to 3) my take on trios, black boxes, and soulmatesifyouwanttocallthemthatbecauseboydoIwantto. In the end, these are just adventures of a rusty writer with a beloved series that is *finally* continuing on!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring: 
> 
> A misshapen mansion; a change of course; a missing name.

> “The light of the day is followed by night, as a shadow follows a body.”
> 
> -Aristotle

The manor was nothing like her castle had been, but the cold air and candlelit rooms at least gave Maleficent a sense she was home. A home those damn keyblade wielders had taken; a home of servants doting on her as their queen; of room to stretch out her Dragon form; of pristine elegance; of not this shithole of moth-eaten curtains and musky halls. The lighting in each room was sadder than the last. Darkness, in Maleficent's opinion, was silver-tongued; was a snake with enticing ideas and blissful soliloquies of evil. This...this was a conjured manner of her own making. Quaint, but not thoroughly thought out. There were no whispers in the shadows as had her castles. At times she would enter rooms and find that furniture would be 'half-baked' as Pete so gracefully put it when they discovered an unstable table on two and a half legs leaning presumptuously towards an armchair with the most unfortunate case malformation one had ever seen. Maleficent, in the most humble of lights, was not an interior designer. But she needed a new home base. So, half-baked or not, this was going to have to suffice.

Those warriors of light may have come out on top before, but that was going to end. She had plans, and she mustn't let them go to waste again. Hence why she was eliciting the help of a buffoon like Pete.

"We must take care of the boy. Since you couldn't keep your mouth shut, he knows what we seek. And now that we have it in our sights, we cannot risk him catching wind of our plans!" The Mistress of Evil stood tall, hands out and resting on her staff; her long fingernails thoughtfully tapped the orb on top.

"Well, gee. I don't see how he could be a problem. The brat don't even know about the ol' Organization guy working with the other guys in the white robes. There's no way that he has any inklin' of what we're up to," Pete huffed as he crossed his arms.

"I have underestimated the boy too many times. He has foiled too many of our plans. I have had enough of being bested by the child. It's time that we make him a top priority. Until he is dealt with, we will not be moving on with the next phase of the plan!" Maleficent, taking little consideration for the cat's cartoonish whining, took proper hold of her staff as if to solidify her decision. "It is for that reason," she continued, words easier on the tongue than those on her mind, "I have reached out to someone who I believe can help us."

On cue, as all things seem to be for our villains, a rhythmic clacking echoed from down the crooked, misshapen hall. A lanky man greeted them with a Cheshire grin, a top hat, titled-ever-so-perfectly did well to cover his eyes and add to his height. Natural charisma dripped from his swagger like venom. He saluted them with his cane before leaning against it, hand over hand, towards them. "The doctor is in." His words were sugar, but his teeth glared with the viciousness of a shark's when he spoke. With a practiced flick of the wrist, he removed his hat and lowered himself into a graceful bow. "I must say, I'm not usually a house call kinda man, but from what I unda'stand, ya folks seem'ta be sufferin' from a rather particular ailment." His gaze flickered upward. Maleficent scowled. A cat was one thing to elicit assistance from; a snake was a whole other.

"Who's this bozo?" Pete asked, taking a defensive stance rather quickly.

"The answer to our predicament," Maleficent said smoothly. She was to keep her calm. No matter how desperate she became, she was still, even if only to herself, a queen of Darkness. Silly voodoo doctors were not going to break her composure. "He does not dwell in the typical Darkness. He has something I've never seen before, and for that reason, he may be able to take care of the boy."

"Only if ya can keep up ya end of the bargain, madame," he purred, flipping his hat back onto his head as he regained the comfortable lean. "I am a man of business, afta all. Nothin' more. And, as a humble man of nothin' but a humble profession, I'm gonna need a bit of...prepayment before I do ya reckoning."

"I've already sent a platoon of Heartless to the location you have requested. Worry not, I am a woman of my word. As I trust, you are a man of yours."

"Certainly."

"The fortune is secured. Now, about these...friends of yours."

The man grinned. "Ah, yessum. My friends. Where is it you were wishin' them to be gettin'?"

>   
"Light thinks it travels faster than anything, but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the Darkness has always got there first and is waiting for it."  
-Terry Pratchett  


Brilliant beams of light radiated the dark passage. The glittering exit grew to an immaculate size as Sora inched closer, warming him to his very core. Sure, Master Yen Sid may say that he shouldn't use the Power of Waking so much, but Sora had to admit, he was getting pretty good at it. All he had to do was find Kairi and return home.

Home.

Where salt held down warmer weather and lapping waves were everyday static; where seagulls' calls were almost more annoying than their tendency to drop clams and oysters that forced longer days to become even longer when shilling roofs and fixing up boats — home, where days were spent laughing with friends and watching the sunset by the Paopu tree. Only, for home to work, the puzzle would have to be complete, and Sora was going to get the final piece back, no matter what. He knew that Riku would be waiting for him and Kairi. Once Sora completed this last waking, they could go back to the way things were before. Before the Darkness pushed its way into their lives.

With the Xehanort mess over, they could return to some sense of normalcy. Kingdom Hearts was locked up tight, and all of the lost Guardians of Light saved. Roxas and Xion were back as well, and they could finally live out the lives that they so deserved. Maybe, just maybe, the lot of them could live the peaceful lives they had mocked as children. Traveling the worlds and seeing the sights without the constant threat of monsters. Just him, Riku, and Kairi. Home.

Sora's fists clenched at his side as he willed himself to go faster. Kairi always had his back, and now it was his turn to have hers. The end of the tunnel neared, and Sora had to squint his eyes against the brightness. He was almost there!

He felt a harsh jerk as something wrapped around his ankle. "Wha-?" Before the word could even grasp its meaning, Sora flew back. The beams on his right encompassed him, and, just like that, he was no longer rising, but was rather falling into deep Darkness. The warmth from the light faded from his body, and as he fell deeper into nothing a deep freeze set over his body. Soon it was hard to move. He couldn't see, he couldn't cry out. No! He was almost there! He tried to summon his keyblade, but he couldn't. The Darkness took hold of his body and seeped into his mind. Soon, even his thoughts were nothing but shadows.

>   
"Where there is much light, the shade is deepest."  
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  
If there was anything that Riku hated, it was waiting. He'd done plenty of it throughout the years, but that didn't make this instance any easier. He shouldn't have been so surprised that Sora volunteered to go off alone to find Kairi. The guy had been a grade A idiot since day one. But, still, it had been a week since Sora had taken off. Riku was starting to get uneasy. He didn't raise his concerns to his comrades, given that he felt they were finally beginning to take Sora seriously rather than belittle him. This was Sora's chance to show them all that he was capable of doing something alone. The last few months, between Yen Sid and Donald, Riku could tell that the little self-confidence that Sora had about his abilities.

"I lost them all! They were my power! There's nothing I can do. By myself, I'm nothing!"

The words had Riku fuming. Of course, Sora was something without his comrades. Of course, Sora was probably more capable than any of them when it came to shit-hitting-the-fan situations. But, alas, of course, Sora was also the type to have to learn the hard way. He was stronger with the heart links he formed over the past few years, and maybe he'd come to term with the realization that being open-minded about help was probably the best battle strategy Riku had seen so far. It's easy to feel alone. To be able to reach out and not only connect with people, but connect on such a level that Sora was able to, was more a spell than Riku decided any of them put enough thought into realizing. Riku had seen Sora in action many times. The way he could turn a battlefield into his own homefield no matter the area was astounding. He'd mastered the airwalk technique, and the speed was insane. Riku could still knock him down in a spar or leave him in the dust in a race, but at this rate, Riku knew he would have to actually try. And even then, Riku was only about seventy-five (okay, eighty-six) percent certain he would come out victorious. He would just have to challenge Sora when he got home to find out for real.

Riku wandered the main square of Radiant Garden. After Sora took off, everyone scattered. Roxas, Xion, and Axel returned to Twilight Town for some much-needed R&R the Disney crew returned home to Disney Castle; and the newly woken Keyblade Masters said that they wanted to go home, too. Riku wanted nothing more than to follow their leads. If someone had asked him four years ago if he would ever miss Destiny Islands, he would have scoffed in their faces. Now? He longed for that familiar shore; for the tranquility it provided. That being said, if he returned now, he could never get a moment's peace. The islands weren't home without Sora and Kairi. So, he settled for Radiant Garden where he could help Namine regain her bearings after being given her own replica to reside within. He'd spent the day walking around with her, watching her experience life. The way she stopped to smell every flower they came across, how she gently dragged her finger across the pool of water in the fountain in the main square, reveling at the ripples it caused, how she would close her eyes and breathe. It made Riku realize all he took for granted.

He returned Namine to Ienzo before night fell. He could return to the inn and call it a night, but he was apprehensive. He knew that he wouldn't be able to rest easy. He hadn't since Sora left. The uncertainty of whether his friends were safe or not made sleeping rather difficult. How could he snuggle into covers and allow himself comfort when his best friends could potentially be fighting for their lives? Though, surely either Sora or Kairi would have called him if they needed backup, right? The new gummiphones made communication across worlds available, so, if they needed help, they would reach out, right? Right?

Riku pulled out his own gummiphone and stared at the blank screen. He had been tempted to call Sora every day but had refrained so his best friend wouldn't get the feeling that Riku didn't trust him with the assignment. Riku believed with every ounce of his being that Sora could do anything that his heart was set on. Even the impossible.

But it had been a week of radio silence. A straight week, seven days, of the same repeated episode of Naime, petals, home by dark, and mind-numbing silence. Maybe he was just bored. Sora often sent out an occasional silly photo or text during his travels. Since the end of the war, however, Riku's gummiphone had been as unnervingly silent.

Riku's finger hovered over the unlock button. Sora wouldn't mind it if he called to check up on him, right? To see if he found Kairi yet. To make sure they were safe. Still, he knew Sora well enough that he would probably take offense to being checked up on like some unsupervised child. With a heavy sigh, he shoved the gummiphone in his pocket and began walking to the inn. The least he could do was try to sleep to pass the time.

>   
"There's light and joy, but there's also darkness all around and we can be lost in it."  
-David Almond  


Sora groaned as he slipped into consciousness. He tried to stretch but found that he could not move his outstretched limbs. Panicked, his tried desperately to blink, but to no avail; all he could see was Darkness. It wasn't a frozen Darkness like before, though. No, this time was with something cold but very-much earthly.

Bound and blindfolded. Wonderful. "Hello?" Sora called out, continuing to squirm.

"Ah, so the boy finally wakes, hm? An' here I was wonderin' if my services would even be needed."

"Who are you?" Sora demanded. He wasn't sure if his tone betrayed his nerves of steel, but he was confident the voice he coined to be no more than ten feet away slipped through the air like oil. He clenched his fists, straining the restraints as inconspicuously as possible.

"Who am I? Well, boy. I go by many' a name. Masta of Voodoo. Witch docta. The Shadow Man." He laughed at this, his chuckle taking on an Oogy Boogy jig. "But, ya," he continued seamlessly, "may call me Docta Facilier."

Sora hesitated. Docter Fa-cil-ee-air? He'd never heard of him before. Friend or foe? Well, it wouldn't be the first time Sora had been mistaken for a trespasser (granted, it wouldn't be the first time that he would have been a trespasser), so perhaps this was all a misunderstanding! "Where are we?"

"Ta be completely honest, boy, I don't know. I'm just here on a house call. And ya have the pleasure of bein' my next patient."

"Oh, I don't think I need a doctor, actually," Sora said, smiling at what he perceived to be the general area the doctor was in. "I'm actually perfectly well! You see, I was on a mission when I got a bit pulled off course. If you could just untie me I'll be on my way again!"

"Ah, now, ya see, I can't exactly do that. Client ta docta confidentiality an' all that. But, I can tell ya that ya won't be worrin' 'bouta mission too much longa."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sora asked. "Were you the one that yanked me out of the Waking?"

"No, I ain't able ta take credit. That woulda been some of my friends. Ya see, I got friends on the otha side, and they can go where no one else can. S'pose that's why I was sought out. From what I hea, yer a ratha hard kid ta catch."

Someone was trying to catch him. But who? They had finished off the Organization! Unless- "Wait, did Maleficent put you up to this?" Maleficent had been searching for some black box. That's what Pete had said, anyway. Sora had almost completely forgotten about those goons in wake of the Kingdom Hearts debacle. Maybe she thought that he was looking for it too and wanted to keep him from finding it first?

When Dr. Facilier spoke, it wasn't an answer to his question like Sora had hoped. Instead, he it was some weird chanting in a language he'd never heard of before. There was a rush of wind that ruffled his hair, and he was suddenly cold again. The chanting picked up pace, and Sora could have sworn that he heard more voices joining in. "Wait, wait, what are you doing? Stop!" Being unable to see made this situation all the worse. Sora struggled against his bonds, but they were too strong.

A sickening crack exploded into the air, defening Sora if not for his own screams. "No! Stop!" he tried. A mind-altering splinter ran through his chest, pulsating with iron claws. Pain radiated to every part of himself. His thoughts went numb, overtaken by the sheer pain of it all. He desperately called for his keyblade, but his hand remained empty of his trusty weapon as his heart was literally torn from his chest. Lights flickered in the corner of his blocked vision as an all too familiar coldness began to consume him. It was just like when he faded to Darkness and woken up as a Shadow years ago.

"No. We cannot allow him to turn into a Heartless. Even then, he found a way back. Preserve the shell as is." Maleficent. Pain.

More chanting, faster than before. Another stab to the chest. Sora's diaphragm somehow managed to constrict, sending every molecule from his lungs to his throat, shards of glass tearing tissues before meeting the air to deafen eavesdroppers. Then another, and another, and to his surprise, the frigid cold receded. Instead, he began to go numb. His eyes were heavy behind the blindfold. Any words that followed from the Peanut Gallery turned into murky nonsense.

This has to be it for me…

The pain, it was too much. The numbness, it weakened him, but not to the point that the adrenaline didn't predict his impending doom. He was dying. He was dead? He failed. His mission. Kairi. Riku. He failed.

He spoke. "Kairi…" The word fell like a weightless brick from his mouth as he keeled over, his forehead smashing into the rough stone beneath him. Still, he let his mouth bleed. "Riku…" They had to know. "I'm s--"

Darkness claimed him.

>   
"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."  
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

  
Maleficent hummed in approval as she witnessed Dr. Facilier's shadow companion holding the heart of the brat who had bested her more times than she cared to count. Darkness ebbed at the boy's feet and fingertips, making her frown. This would not do. "No. We cannot allow him to turn into a Heartless. Even then, he has found a way back. Preserve the shell as is."

"Yes, madame," the doctor concurred. He chanted faster. The shadows hurried around his feet, striking the boy like angry snakes. She watched with a straight face as the shadows began to weave through the boy's chest, in and out, as if sewing this voodoo magic into the seeping hole where his heart was.

"Now, bring me his heart," Maleficent ordered, eyeing the primary shadow expectantly.

The shadow companion slithered across the ground and closed the gap between them. Maleficent had to bend down to pick up the heart from its clutches, as it seemed to follow the same rules as any other shadow, sticking to surfaces.

Once she held the heart, she threw her head back, a victorious laugh bubbling over. "At last! We put an end to Sora's reign of light! Now, we will have no resistance as we carry out our final plan. And to ensure that-!" A practiced spell flew from her lips with ease her, dusted green fogging around her hands, growing so bright that the voodoo man's shadows coward away. Carefully, still hissing the spell, she brought her long fingernail down and etched an X into the center of the heart. It thumped and glowed, but as her spell began to take hold, color and light drained, sliding down her palm. Color, as soon as it became airborne, greyed and dispersed into dust. Soon, what she held couldn't be called a heart. It looked more like a glass sculpture as it beat out the last of its light, save for a small spark that ebbed weakly in the center. "All connections have been severed. He claims his friends are his power. Let's see how powerful he is when no companions remember him."

Grinning wide, she raised the useless heart above her head and slammed it into the ground at her feet. The heart shattered into a million pieces, scattering around her and her underlings.

"Well, gee. I was expectin' some sorta explosion or somethin'," Pete said. "Who knew hearts were so easily broken?"

"Of course hearts are easy to break, you imbecile," Maleficent mutter, kicking away shards to prove her point. "They're weak. The only reason the boy ever beat us because we were attacking the wrong things. Now that we've figured it out, he will be no more harm to us than a measly thorn." Maleficent turned her attention to the final visitor in the room who sunk into a far corner, eyes wide with horror. Maleficent smirked as the man gulped. "So, Stromboli," she said with an easy air, taking almost pride in the way the greying puppeteer shivered. "I did promise you a new puppet."

>   
"The dance between darkness and light will always remain— the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen, the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars."  
-C. Joybell C.  


"This has to be it for me… Kairi… Riku… I'm s--"

Riku shot up from the bed as the sound of a terrible scream rang in his ears. It wasn't just any scream, that was Sora's.

Panting and sweating, Riku ungracefully scrambled to his feet and crossed the room to where he'd hung his vest hours before. He grabbed the gummiphone and switched it on, scanning the contacts for Sora's number. Sora's pride be damned, he had to make sure he was okay.

S… S… Sofie, Squall..? Wait, wasn't Sora's number supposed to be in the middle there? He frowned and scrolled once more, but couldn't seem to find Sora's contact. Strange. He could have sworn that Chip and Dale had programmed his number in there. Frowning, he scrolled up to the Ks and dialed for King Mickey. Time differences between worlds were strange, but he hoped he wouldn't be waking his majesty.

After two rings, Mickey's face appeared on the screen. "Riku, is everything all right?" he asked. All business, as per usual.

Riku composed himself as much as he could before speaking. "Sorry to bother you, your majesty. But could you send me Sora's contact number? I can't seem to find it in my list."

Instead of laughing at the silliness of the question as Riku had expected, Mickey narrowed his eyes at him. "Um, Riku? Are you alright there, pal? Are you having nightmares again?"

Riku sighed. The king had always been extremely perceptive to his emotions. "Yeah. That's why I have to get ahold of Sora. I have to make sure that he is okay. I have a really bad feeling and--"

"Riku, I need you to take a deep breath and settle down. Drink some water and bring yourself back to reality. Meditate for a little bit. That'll help," Mickey lectured.

"With all due respect, your majesty, I will calm down after I hear from Sora."

Mickey mirrored his frown. "Riku… I think you're still lost in the aftermath of your nightmare. I don't know any Sora."

"Your majesty, that's not funny. Please, can you just-"

Mickey looked disturbed, and Riku couldn't breathe when he spoke his next words, "Riku, I don't know any Sora. A-ha, maybe someone else will."

What the hell is happening..?!

>   
"We have to believe going through Darkness will eventually bring us light. Especially when night is out forever."  
-E.J Mellow  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by @Letsnottalkaboutitaye
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment! I love hearing from you guys!


	2. Chapter 2

*.*.*.*

“There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.”  
-Bram Stoker

*.*.*.*

Riku was distressed. Mickey, Donald and Goofy each told him that they didn’t recall anyone named Sora and that he needed to go back to sleep. Donald and Goofy traveled with Sora for so long, so how could they not remember him? Riku would have been convinced that this was some kind of sick joke, had their expressions not seemed so worried for his wellbeing. 

Riku paced. The sun wasn’t quite up yet, but as soon as it was, he planned to make a mad dash to Ienzo’s lab. Ienzo had done so much research on Sora’s heart, so he had to remember him, right? Or Namine, who had meticulously unwound and repieced Sora’s memories with such care. 

Something was terribly wrong. Sora was in trouble and he didn’t know how to help. The fact that memories of the brunet seemed to disappearing from their comrade’s minds only added to Riku’s panic. Stranger yet, when he had asked the Disney crew about Kairi, they remembered her just fine. “Someone is on their way to save her,” Donald had said. Yeah, Sora had been! Riku had wanted to scream at the magical duck, but it was no use. Getting frustrated with them wasn’t going to change anything, so he had hung up and started his pacing. 

The room was suddenly claustrophobic, so Riku shrugged on his vest and escaped into the dewy morning. The sun was just peaking over the horizon to the east, casting brilliant beams of light across the shiny cobblestone ground pathways. The air was crisp against Riku’s face as he continued on his way. He doubted that Ienzo would be awake yet, but he couldn’t wait a few more hours. Waiting any longer than he already had would send him into a spiraling panic. At least, more than he already was. 

The worst case scenario was that Ienzo and Namine would give him the same worried look that the Disney crew had given him. What would he do then? He had no clue where Sora was. The last time he saw his best friend, Sora was taking off to go find Kairi. What if she was in trouble, too? As his thoughts were running at dizzying speeds, his pace picked up from a jog to a sprint. He needed answers. 

Once at the tall doors to the lab, Riku pounded on them with a closed fist. “Ienzo! Ienzo! Are you in there?”

After about a minute of constant pounding, one door slowly crept open, and Riku was met with wide blue eyes framed by silky blonde hair. “Riku, is everything alright?” Namine asked. She looked awake enough, and Riku hoped that he hadn’t roused her. 

“No, it’s not. Can I come in? I need to talk to you and Ienzo,” Riku answered quickly. 

Namine nodded and stepped back as she opened the door wide enough for Riku to slip inside. They stood in the foyer, and to their right was a flight of stairs that led to the balcony which served as Ienzo’s main lab. Off the bat, the familiar sound of machinery and computers beeping and booping met his ears. The main lights were off, meaning that Ienzo wasn’t up for the day yet. 

“What’s going on, Riku?” Namine asked softly. She hardly ever spoke above a whisper, and her voice was nearly drowned out by the computers in the background. Thankfully, Riku was practiced in tuning his hearing for her. 

“Namine, I had an awful nightmare. It’s Sora. Something is really wrong. I tried to call the King to see if he’d heard from him, but he says he doesn’t know anybody named Sora. Donald and Goofy, too! And they traveled with him!” Riku hesitated when he saw a familiar shift in Namine’s expression. The one that gradually changed from ‘What is wrong’ to ‘Oh, he is going crazy’. Just like the Disney crew. “C’mon, Namine. You couldn’t have forgotten him. You weaved his memories together. You know, the guy who went after Kairi after the battle with Xehanort finished up.” 

Namine shifted where she stood, fiddling her thumbs together and looking at the ground. “Riku, Kairi was struck down during that battle, don’t you remember?” 

“But Sora said that she was still out there! Don’t you feel her? Isn’t there some kind of connection between you two?” 

Namine bit her bottom lip. “I mean, I don’t know. I’m still getting used to feelings in general. I am still learning to sort what is what.” 

Riku deflated. “But… you remember who Sora is, right?” 

With an apologetic look, Namine shook her head. “I’m sorry, Riku. I don’t recall anyone named Sora.” When Riku looked like he wanted to sink into the floor, she added, “But that doesn’t mean I never knew him. Memories are such fickle things and can be manipulated in many ways. Just because I can’t bring him up in my memory doesn’t mean that he never existed. Or, does exist?” 

As unsure as Namine’s words were, they actually gave Riku a shred of reassurance. At least Namine understood that memories could be trifled with and didn’t think that he was completely insane. “He needs help, but nobody else seems to remember him.”

Namine thought for a moment. “Well, maybe the strength of your bond is what kept you from forgetting him as well. Maybe you should reach out to someone else who has an unbreakable bond with him.” 

“Like Roxas,” Riku deduced, a lightbulb practically lighting up above his head. “He’s Sora’s somebody! If anyone would remember him, it would be Roxas, right?” 

Namine smiled and nodded. “That would make sense, yeah. He should still be in Twilight Town. At least, that’s where Ansem said he was when I asked.” 

“He’ll be my next stop then,” Riku decided. 

“Ah, Riku,” a voice called from the end of the foyer. Riku glanced up to see Ienzo in a long white nightdress. Complete with blue stripes and a matching drooped hat. “What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“You remember Sora, right?” Riku asked. It would be easier to skip the lead up and just ask the question, he decided. 

“Ah, so you know who Sora is!” Ienzo eureka’d. “I was curious as to why I had a folder labeled Sora sitting on my desktop. A heart that can house others is quite special.” 

Riku beamed. Yes! Technology hadn’t been altered so there were still signs of Sora after all! “Yeah, that’s him. He went after Kairi after the fight with Xehanort, but I’m guessing that you don’t remember either.” 

Ienzo raised his hand to cup his chin thoughtfully. “Can’t say that I do. That being said, why would I have so much in depth research logged on his heart if I didn’t know him directly? Something doesn’t quite make sense there.” 

It took everything in Riku to not fist bump the air. Someone actually believed him. He wasn’t crazy after all. “I think he called out to me and Kairi. Something happened to him, and now nobody remembers him.”

“Well, I can take a look at the research I have to see if I can find anything that can help us. Otherwise, without my memory of Sora, there’s really not much I can give you idea wise,” Ienzo stated.

“That’s alright. Namine gave me an idea. Roxas’s somebody was Sora. I’m going to go check in with him and see if he remembers. If you find anything interesting while looking through your research, could you call me?” Riku asked. 

“Oh. Um, yes,” Ienzo answered, but with how far off he sounded, Riku figured he was already off thinking about something. 

“I’ll make sure he updates you,” Namine promised with a sweet smile. 

“Thanks, Namine. I’m going to head out towards Twilight Town then,” Riku said. 

“If you find him, let us know,” Namine said. 

Riku nodded before turning around and booking it out of the lab. He had to get to the GummiShip garage quickly. It was going to be a long way to Twilight Town. 

*.*.*.*

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”  
– Madeline L’Engle

*.*.*.*

“Wake up already!” 

“Huh, what?” With a jerk, his head clunked into metal. 

“Good, you are awake now! It is time we rehearse!” A plump man with a long black beard and a receding hairline stepped closer. He realized he was in a cage once the last of sleep faded from his vision. The man unlocked a big padlock, then swung open his cage door. “We move now, let’s go.”

“Rehearse for what? Who are you?” he asked. 

“I am the Great Stromboli, the greatest puppeteer the worlds have ever known! And you are my next headliner, so get up! We haven’t a moment to lose!” Stromboli clapped his hands twice in rapid succession, trying to rouse him faster. 

Not wanting to grind on Stromboli’s patience, he climbed out of the cage and stood to his full height. As if on instinct, he stretched his arms above his head, but his wooden limbs did nothing in response. He looked around at his surroundings as he did. Other than the cage, there wasn’t much in this room. There was a desk and a safe adjacent from where he had just been, and there was a long poster of dancing marionettes that had Stromboli’s name slapped across the image in fancy cursive. A single window in the room was covered by a tattered blanket, which didn’t let much light into the room. 

“You can read, can’t you?” Stromboli demanded as a piece of paper was shoved into his hand. 

Looking at the paper, he could read the words printed. “Yes, what is this?” he asked. On the top of the paper, “I’ve Got No Strings” was printed in bold. 

“That is the song you will be performing six nights a week,” Stomboli said with a definitive nod. “Read it up and memorize it. Once you do, I will show you the music that goes with it. Now, you can dance, yes?”

“Uhh.” He wasn’t sure. Could he dance? To test, he spun in a circle, his wooden arms clacking against his side as he finished. “Like that?” 

Stromboli let out a long, dramatic sigh. “We have a long way to go before I can put you on a stage. And here I thought you would already be trained in the basics.”

“Did I have training before?” he asked, confused. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stromboli, but I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything except waking up just now.”

Stromboli seemed thoughtful as he stroked his long beard and hummed. “Well, that can’t be helped. Read up on your lines. I will check in on you in an hour,” and with that, the puppeteer turned towards the door next to the desk. Once Stromboli went through the door and it shut, the newly woken puppet could hear a lock sliding into place. 

“Well, alright. Guess I had better learn the lyrics,” he said nonchalantly to himself with a shrug. It wasn’t like he had anything better to be doing.

*.*.*.*

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”  
– Anne Frank

*.*.*.*

Riku stretched as he stepped out of the GummiShip. It had been a two hour flight to Twilight Town, and by the looks of it, it was about the same time it would have been in Radiant Garden. The mid morning sun was working its way over the east side of the tall clock tower in the distance. It occurred to Riku that he hadn’t been in this town since he had taken on the persona of Ansem. Things hadn’t changed too much since then. Other than the new bistro in the corner of town square, it was almost just like how he remembered it. 

As he walked around the town square, he took in the calm conversations of the locals. He almost envied how they could go about their lives with no worries of Heartless or Nobodies or people who wanted to extinguish light. Instead, they enjoyed every day as it came and lived for themselves. He realized that he did have that kind of life once. When he was a kid and would dream of rafting off to other worlds with his two best friends. The two best friends that were currently missing, and he had no way to track or get ahold of. 

“Hey there, stranger,” a voice said from behind Riku. When he spun around, he was greeted by a familiar redhead who was accompanied by another gentleman with long blue hair. 

“Axel. Isa,” Riku replied. This was great. Axel would definitely know where Roxas was. 

“What brings you to our side of the universe?” Axel asked, his trademark smirk in full swing. 

“I’m looking for Roxas. Is he around?” Riku asked. 

“Roxas, huh? Well, he and Xion have been staying in the old mansion. They usually make their way into town around noon for lunch. What do you need the dweeb for?” 

Riku wondered if he should start the whole inquiry about Sora over for a fourth time. It was likely that Axel would tell him that he, like the others Riku had questioned, had also forgotten Sora. Though, he would rather have the whole crew together so he could ask them at once. It would be a big time saver on this part. 

Riku blinked as Axel waved his hand only centimeters from his face. “Hello there? Somebody home upstairs?” the redhead joked. 

“Yeah. Sorry. Actually, is there any way I could talk to you two and the others at the same time? I need help with something and I don’t want to repeat myself more than I have to.” 

“Are you in trouble?” Isa asked from Axel’s right. It was strange seeing him so close, given the last few times Riku had seen him, he’d been on the enemy’s side. 

“Not me. But someone is. I’ll explain when everyone is together,” Riku said. “I’m going to head to the mansion. I hope you’ll follow.” Riku shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking towards the path that would lead to the mansion he had come to know so well a couple of years ago. Riku could hear Axel grumbling about being ordered around, but he ignored it. Axel would be the same way if this was Roxas in Sora's shoes. 

Riku just turned into the entrance of the forest when he spotted Roxas and Xion walking his way. "Oh, hey, Riku," Roxas greeted evenly. 

“Roxas, Xion, perfect.” Riku watched as Axel and Isa came up from behind and joined the group. 

“Is there something you need?” Xion asked Riku, eyeing him warily.

“Do any of you remember Sora?” Riku asked. “Something bad has happened and everyone seems to have forgotten him but me.” He turned and looked Roxas in the eye. “Mainly, you. Do you remember your somebody?” 

“My… somebody?” Roxas asked. 

“Wait, you found Roxas’s somebody? We’ve been wondering who he was for like, forever,” Axel said unhelpfully. 

Riku sighed heavily. "You don't remember, then?" 

"No. Can't say I do," Roxas said. "Sorry, man. Is there anything we can do, though?" 

Riku thought for a moment. "Maybe. Hold on." He pulled out his Gummiphone and pulled up his photos. While he wasn't really one to take pictures, he had saved a few that Sora had sent him. With any luck… aha! He clicked one and held the screen so everyone could see. "Here. This is Sora." 

The picture was of Sora beaming in front of a waterfall Riku had never seen before. He held out two fingers in a peace sign and framed his right eye with them. Seeing the picture put Riku at ease. There was still proof of his existence. 

Roxas squinted to see the photo better and Xion tilted her head slightly. "Um, isn't that..?" 

"Have you seen him?" Riku asked. 

"I mean, kind of? Or at least an extremely similar puppet," Roxas muttered. "There's a puppet show that played last night at the town theater. I think tonight is the finale showing. You can see for yourself." 

"Oh yeah, he does look like the puppet from the end," Axel agreed. "His act was pretty good. Catchy song, too." 

Riku closed out of the gallery and placed the phone back in his pocket. "There's another showing tonight? Where do I buy a ticket?" 

"Just by the theater space. We'll show you," Axel said. 

Riku nodded, and the five of them began walking back to the town square. Riku tried to shove down the hope that was threatening to spill. The last thing he needed was to let himself down again. Even still, the prospect that Sora could be nearby made Riku feel lighter than he had in over a week.

*.*.*.*

"How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole."  
\--C.G Jung

*.*.*.*

He pirouetted three times and stuck the landing, grinning to himself. He was getting the choreography down just fine! It was like Mr. Stromboli had said, all he needed to do was apply himself and practice hard. 

Last night’s show had been incredible. He loved making the children in the audience smile and squee with joy. The front flips he had been practicing seemed to really set off a crowd. He hadn’t been given too much space to practice in and spent the nights in his cage, but he was sure that after a few more shows, Mr. Stromboli would let him have a bit more freedom to experiment with more techniques. 

He was waiting patiently for his cue behind the long, slightly tattered curtain that Mr. Stromboli had paid someone to set up before the first show. On the other side of the curtain, Mr. Stromboli was putting on a fantastic show with dancing and singing marionettes. He had been trained that when he hears the key change, that was when he was to swipe the curtain to the side and make his grand entrance. At this point, he had his song completely memorized and was pumped for the final performance of Twilight Town. His goal was to do so well tonight that Mr. Stromboli would let him out to wander the town before they left for the next venue. 

At the key change, his arm shot out and gripped the curtain. With a practiced flare, he thrust the fabric to the side and strutted out onto the stage. Immediately, there was applause, and he grinned as big as his wooden cheeks would allow. He counted the beats in his head and made his way to center stage. With arms out wide, he began to sing. 

*.*.*.*

"What makes night within us may leave stars."  
– Victor Hugo

*.*.*.*

Getting tickets for the show had been easy. Fifteen munny per admission wasn’t too bad. Riku had even paid for Xion and Roxas to come see the show again. The hard part had been waiting out the day. The show was just before sundown, so Riku had well over five hours to kill before the show. Thankfully, Roxas took it upon himself to give Riku a full tour of the town. The others tagged along and the day went by at a decent pace. After lunch at the new bistro (which Riku would have to admit, was some of the best food he’d ever had), Axel treated the group to some sea salt ice cream. Roxas showed Riku how to play Grandstander, and the group played a few games. Finally, the sun was starting to go down and the theater was open to guests to take their seats. 

Axel had snagged the group front row seats in the very center before any of the townsfolk could. “Gotta make sure we get you the good seat so you can see if this really is your friend,” he had told Riku as he patted him on the shoulder. 

“Thanks, Axel.”

Once seated, it took another fifteen minutes for the crew behind the curtain to get everything ready for the show. Riku was anxiously bouncing his leg as he waited. As much as he wanted to charge up that stage and search for Sora, he knew that getting thrown out would make it even harder to find his best friend. 

Finally, the music started. A few notes from a trumpet blew loud and proud as the curtains pulled back three quarters of the way, still leaving the far parts of the stage covered. A tall wooden frame took up most of the stage. In the back of it was a painted backdrop of a forest. Two life size marionettes were guided out from either side of the frame. The two lady puppets were each dressed in flowing sundresses and wore straw hats. After some synchronized hip sways, they began to sing. 

“It's a world of laughter  
A world of tears  
It's a world of hopes  
And a world of fears  
There's so much that we share  
That it's time we're aware  
It's a small world after all”

After the initial verse, another backdrop was rolled out over the forest background, and now instead featured a beach scene. Two more puppets, masculine men in floral swim trunks were guided out of either side of the wooden frame. The men puppets held out their hands to the females, and they started to dance together in a simple spin and dip. (Riku had to admit, it took real talent to keep all of the strings from getting all tangled up in these sequences.) The song continued: 

“It's a small world after all  
It's a small world after all  
It's a small world after all  
It's a small, small world.”  
After a series of twirling and dips, the background changed again, this time to a city square. Two more female puppets with savvy black dresses and black wide shades over where their eyes would be. They sashayed onto the stage and huffed at the men in shorts when they tried to get them to dance. This got a few snickers from the audience. The city women clapped their hands, the men in shorts flexed and the forest women twirled in place as the song continued. 

“There is just one moon And one golden sun  
And a smile means  
Friendship to ev'ryone  
Though the mountains divide  
And the oceans are wide  
It's a small world after all.”

Riku looked next to him at Roxas, who was clearly entertained by the show. “When does Sora come in?” he whispered. 

“Near the end,” Roxas whispered back. 

When Riku looked back at the stage, the backdrop had changed to a western style saloon and there were two cowboy puppets with exaggerated hats and fringed rider pants were now do-see-doing with the already present puppets. 

“It's a small world after all  
It's a small world after all  
It's a small world after all  
It's a small, small world.”

Once again, another background change. This time, it was a fenced field with a cow painted on it. Two females wearing long overalls, checkered shirts and braided pigtails made their way on stage. With a hoot and holler, they grabbed up the cowboys for a square dance. 

“It's a world of laughter  
A world of tears  
It's a world of hopes  
And a world of fears  
There's so much that we share  
That it's time we're aware  
It's a small world after all.”

Riku was officially tired of the song. It was repetitive and it felt like his ears could start bleeding at any point. He was almost tempted to walk out on this show when the key in the music changed. A spotlight lit up the curtain on the right side of the stage, and with a flick of fabric, there was Sora. There was no mistaking it. He may have been in a weird red jumpsuit with a white frilly neck piece and crown buttons, but that was him. He was grinning as he strode across the stage to the middle of the puppets. He took one of the forest women’s wooden hand and kissed it, which caused her to swoon back into one of the beach men, who caught her and started fanning her face. With his signature grin and sparkly blue eyes, Sora helped sing the last verse as the puppets all danced around him. 

“It's a small world after all  
It's a small world after all  
It's a small world after all  
It's a small, small world.” 

Without allowing pause for applause, the music immediately shifted into a different song. The side puppets lined up behind Sora, swaying and clapping along to the beat. Sora took center stage and began to sing on his own.

“I've got no strings  
To hold me down  
To make me fret  
Or make me frown  
I had strings  
But now I'm free  
There are no strings on me.”

As if to prove the point of the final lyric, Sora grinned and jumped, tucking his knees as he pulled off a perfect standing backflip. A good majority of the crowd went wild. Even Axel seemed impressed. Riku, on the other hand, was watching Sora warily. What the hell was he doing pretending to be a puppet? 

A barrel was rolled out onto the stage and Sora stopped it with his foot before placing an open hand on the top and hefted himself over it, balancing himself on one arm on top of the barrel. Again, the crowd was loving it. Hoots and hollers filled the air as Sora spun himself with such ease. Even spinning, he continued to sing. 

“Hi-ho the me-ri-o  
That's the only way to go  
I want the world to know  
Nothing ever worries me  
I've got no strings  
So I have fun  
I'm not tied up to anyone  
They've got strings  
But you can see  
There are no strings on me.”

Sora dismounted from the barrel and the two forest women stood on either side of him, bopping to the beat. He reached down and put his arms around their waists and they stepped to the beat as the women started to sing. 

“You have no strings  
Your arms are free  
To love us by the Elder Tree  
Yes, yes, yes  
If you would woo  
We’d bust our strings for you.”

Riku shook his head. This was pretty embarrassing. He thought about taking out his gummiphone to film this to show Sora just how ridiculous this show was, but he was too distracted by how happy his friend looked to be performing for a crowd. Sora did have the charisma to be a performer, and Riku had always thought he would make a fun ‘rent-a-clown’, but he had never thought he would ever see Sora doing something like this. 

Sora took the closest of each of the puppets’ hands and kissed the back of each. The two girls swooned and spun back into the line of other puppets as the chic city women sashayed over to flank Sora. Sora beamed and twirled three times for them as the music played, but they huffed and turned away from him. Sora scratched his head comically before grinning like he had just gotten a fantastic idea. Spinning around, he made a run for the background and stepped a few times up the wall before flipping back to face the crowd. Without pause, once landed, he ran back to center stage and dropped to his knees so he slid in between the women. Now, they seemed to regard him as worthy as they both began to pet his hair and sing. 

“You've got no strings  
Comme ci comme ça  
Your savoire-faire is ooh la la  
We've got strings  
But entre nous  
We'd cut our strings for you.”

With a practiced ease, Sora laid flat on his back and kicked his legs out from under him. He then curled them back before launching himself back into a standing position and turned to face the two city women puppets. The two women blew kisses at him as they made their way back to the line of puppets, their hips swaying dramatically in the process. Sora reached out to catch the fly away kisses and spun back to the crowd before placing them on his cheeks with a big grin. 

The music sped up and the country girls galloped over to Sora. One took his hand and twirled him before sending him spinning into the arms of the other. Riku had to admit, a lot of practice must have gone into this for it to look like Sora was actually being spun between these two marionettes. After passing him back and forth a few times, the girls began to sing. 

“Down where the tall corn grows  
There's a country rendez-vous  
Where we and the gals go  
But we'd rather go with you, hey!”

At this point, all of the men puppets started to charge at Sora. He winked at the audience before launching himself over the line of puppets, right through their strings. The men spun around and started yelling and chasing Sora as he ran around in circles. Soon, the strings of the men puppets caught up in one another, and they all collapsed to the center of the stage as they were now immobile. The women then flocked to Sora and he grinned at the audience as he belted out his last line. “I’ve got no strings on me!” 

The music cut as Sora dropped into a deep bow. Audience members started to give a standing ovation just as the curtains slammed shut. 

“Sora, wait!” Riku cried as he jumped out of his seat and ran towards the front of the stage. He pushed the curtains apart and poked his head in. “Sora!” He squinted against the darkness of the stage now that there were no lights shining on it. Now that there was no music to block it out, there was an unmistakable rattle as Sora moved, heading towards backstage. “Sora!” he tried again. 

Finally, Sora paused. He turned, and there was an audible clatter as he did. Sora started to walk over, every step emitting a click or clack as he did. That’s when Riku finally realized that Sora’s whole body seemed to be wooden, just like the puppets he had just been dancing with. When Sora’s bright blue eyes that seemed to hold an ocean within each hue made contact with Riku’s, Riku knew before Sora opened his mouth that there was no recognition there. Not even a spark of familiarity.

“Sorry, mister,” Sora said. “Mr. Stromboli doesn’t let fans behind stage, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” 

*.*.*.*

“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”  
― Mary Oliver

*.*.*.*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:  
"It's a Small World" by Disneyland Chorus  
"I've Got No Strings" by Dickie Jones
> 
> Neither are mine, don't sue. Just adding some Disney flare. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoping to turn this into a multi chapter endeavor, so lemme know if ya think I should put in the effort? It would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading.


End file.
